Tim Tszyu’s short notice fight against two-metre Sebastian Fundora could be a recipe for disaster

Boxing is littered with heartbreak stories after champions have taken fights on short notice. Tim Tszyu is taking on the challenge, for better or worse, writes JAMIE PANDARAM.

Tim Tszyu connects with a punch against Brian Mendoza in October. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

No other fighter on the planet is taking on Sebastian Fundora with 12 days’ notice.

Tim Tszyu is blazing a trail for the next generation of boxer that is unheard of in this era’s championship approach.

The Australian is showing Americans and Europeans the throwback approach, when boxers ducked and dodged no one, didn’t hold on to their belts while picking the perfect time and location.

Any other man in Tszyu’s shoes would’ve pulled the plug on the March 31 fight in Las Vegas after Keith Thurman withdrew due to a bicep injury.

Because Fundora is a freak of nature. He stands 197cm tall, with a reach of 203cm.

United States’ boxer Sebastian Fundora (L) faces off with Australia’s Daniel Lewis in February, 2020. Picture: Mark Ralston/AFP

Tszyu, by comparison, is 174cm tall with a reach of 179cm.

This is a crazy Las Vegas gamble other champions wouldn’t risk.

You can’t prepare for a guy like Fundora in 12 days. You need 12 weeks, and a range of different sparring partners who can mimic his reach and downward punching style.

Tszyu has been preparing for a completely different fight against counter-puncher Thurman, who stands just 171cm tall, an opponent Tszyu would have the reach advantage on and therefore prepared to fight from the outside.

Thurman and Tszyu face off at their press conference before the now cancelled fight. Picture: Supplied

The biggest names in the sport; Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Tyson Fury and Gervonta Davis are fighting once or twice a year.

If an opponent pulled out on 12 days’ notice, they certainly wouldn’t take on another world champion on the designated date.

Tszyu doesn’t have their standing yet, and it’s certainly worth his while now the fight against Fundora is a unification fight for Tszyu’s WBO and the vacant WBC super-welterweight titles.

But the risk to his career and brand in the United States is enormous.

A boxer the likes of Canelo Alvarez (L) would not be doing what Tszyu is attempting to do. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP

A first career loss would fling Tszyu down the rankings in title aspiration and pay-per-view television appeal.

This card is the first PPV event being broadcast by Amazon Prime, with millions of eyeballs likely watching Tszyu live for the first time.

Fundora is coming off a loss to Brian Mendoza, who Tszyu defeated on points, and critics will say this should therefore be a walk in the park.

But boxing purists will know the false equivalence of such thinking.

In August 2021, legend Manny Pacquiao was due to face Errol Spence Jr., but the American withdrew with an injury 11 days prior.

Scrambling to find a back-up, fight promoters picked the relatively unknown Yordenis Ugas to fill the spot. Ugas had already been in training camp for another opponent, but jumped at the chance to fight Pacquiao.

In one of the great upsets, Ugas defeated Pacquiao over 12 rounds. In his next fight, with a full camp, Ugas was knocked out by Spence.

Pacquiao (R) slips in the first round of the WBA welterweight title fight against Ugas, which the Filipino champion lost. Picture: Steve Marcus/Getty Images/AFP

Two years prior, then undefeated heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was set to face American Jarrell Miller, but multiple failed drug tests cancelled the bout.

On 33 days’ notice, the podgy Andy Ruiz offered himself as a replacement and Joshua’s team accepted.

In one of the most shocking heavyweight results of all time, Ruiz knocked out Joshua in the seventh round to steal his belts on June 1, 2019.

With a full camp preparing for Ruiz in the return bout, Joshua changed his game plan from looking for a knockout to boxing on the outside, and got his revenge with a unanimous points victory over Ruiz to reclaim the championship title six months later.

Tszyu has everything to lose, and a mountain of boxing history to show him championship fights on short notice have largely been unkind, but he shows no fear.

He is a born fighter. And he’s showing his peers exactly what that means.

Originally published as Tim Tszyu’s short notice fight against two-metre Sebastian Fundora could be a recipe for disaster